Print applications are an essential part of our daily lives. With its wide range of technologies for the most diverse printing markets – including banknotes, various packaging solutions and newspapers – the Koenig & Bauer Group (KBA) makes a vital contribution in this field. With KBA 4.0., the company has identified a strategy for making its clients more profitable with new products and services, by making use of rapidly advancing digitalisation.

In preparation for the industry’s most important event “drupa 2016”, KBA-Sheetfed Solutions organised the drupa Bootcamp international training programme. The bootcamps formed part of the worldwide standardised modular qualification concept for Sales and Service, based on the separate aspects of product understanding, the ability to sell solutions and strategic territorial and customer development. The aim of the training programme was to fill employees and managers with enthusiasm for the new KBA strategy, to learn and practice modern sales methods and techniques and, following the training sessions, to successfully employ this knowledge on a daily basis when selling solutions, i.e. to establish themselves as sellers of solutions, using the unique technological position and commercial benefits of KBA solutions, in the face of stiff competition. This should enable Sales and Service to play an active part in increasing market share, sales and margins.

Together with the KBA training organisation, the BevermannAcademy developed an individual multi-stage training and coaching programme tailored specifically to KBA and the printing industry, which it implemented by means of 8 webinars and 14 week-long on-site training courses in 5 languages, in all parts of the world, with the active use of digital forms of learning and CRM-Systems’ modern Salesforce.com. The sales teams worked with a real case study and with sparring partners on the client side to improve their sales approach, in particular on business-oriented sales pitches, client analysis, determining ROI and highlighting benefits, up to and including negotiating and closing the sale. The overall assessment of all the training by participants with a grade of 1.3 provides evidence of the high level of acceptance and quality of the activities. Implementation in sales practice is supported by a management development programme, intensive sales coaching and further training courses.

The “can do” attitude and enthusiasm of the entire team, in conjunction with a direct connection to results, motivates seminar participants and involves them. Excellent!

Stefan Göbel (Training Centre Manager, KBA Sheetfed Solutions)